8 Steps to Building a House in the Hunter Valley

You're not just buying a block of land, you’re buying the foundations to a new life in the Hunter Valley. Speak to our sales representatives for guidance about which area within Huntlee would be the best fit. 

Huntlee is a growing community, so you’ll want to know about future developments and your proximity to shops and amenities, plus the parks and leisure spaces being developed in the area.

When you buy a block of land, the first thing you will do is sign a contract with us. You will get a copy of the sales contract, including any appendices or covenants that form part of it so you can read it through thoroughly prior to signing.

When you sign the contract, you will be asked to pay a deposit. This money is then held in a Trust Account until the land settles.

Once you have exchanged contracts (to make it legally binding) you’re good to go. You don’t have to wait until the property settlement process is complete before you get started.

Now it’s time to choose your builder. Feel free to chat to the display builders onsite, or contact the friendly sales representatives at the office who can guide you through our Huntlee-approved options. Your builder will give you an indication of timeframes so you’ll know when to start packing!

Here’s a few of our current builders who have displays at Huntlee:

Hudson Homes

Hudson Homes are a builder you can trust. They’ve won more than 30 industry awards in the last 3 years alone. They promise a quality build at a fixed price with a time frame guarantee. Hudson work hard to make sure every home they build lives up to their high standards, see for yourself in their display homes. 

Montgomery Homes

Montgomery Homes have been delivering exceptional homes for more than 30 years. They specialise in home designs that are curated to suit the varying terrains across this region, while fulfilling expectations of modern day living. Their expert craftmanship is reflected in every display home, including Avoca 210 at Huntlee estate.

Coral Homes

​​Coral Homes has built over 25,000 properties across 3 decades. They pride themselves on their unbeatable value for money, and promise to provide you with more than just your standard inclusions so you won’t need to spend thousands on upgrades later. Take a look at display homes by Coral Homes.

McDonald Jones

McDonald Jones want to transform the way you live. With over 35 years as one of Australia’s largest and most innovative new home builders, McDonald Jones homes are here to bring your dream home to life. Their homes are built to last. Check out the form and functionality of Lucia One at Huntlee.

Hunter Homes

Based in Hunter itself, the team at Hunter Homes are young, energetic and vibrant. They look to use new products and ways to bring their inspirational ideas to life so that you can live with love or as they say, live with heart. When you walk into a Hunter Homes display home, it actually feels like home. Take the Ellerton 223, for example. A property that creates a unique living experience with plenty of scope for multi-functional use.

Candor Homes

Candor Homes have a bold vision for family homes in the Hunter. Renowned for designing and constructing homes that celebrate family life, they consistently deliver quality and innovative lifestyle housing. Feel free to visit The Ohana 240, their Huntlee display home that reflects quality, style and candor.

Metricon

Metricon are masters of design. When you build with Metricon, you’re choosing a builder with more than 45 years of experience. They have helped thousands of Australian families to truly love where they live. See the Metricon range of display homes.

Mojo Homes

Build with confidence with NSW’s vibrant new home builder Mojo Homes. Step inside and experience The Rhapsody 30, MOJO’s display home at Huntlee and discover the MOJO difference for yourself. Offering a seamless blend of country and coastal influences puts your families dreams at the forefront.

Thrive Homes

Thrive Homes is all about stylish designs at affordable prices. They believe you can have your dream house and all of the extra finishes, without compromising on quality and budget. Explore The Aria 22, Thrive Home’s display home at Huntlee and see for yourself.

Bellriver Homes

Known for their award-winning home designs, Bellriver Homes has been giving Australia’s homeowners quality, value and peace of mind since 1993. With a focus on exceptional service, they’ve built their reputation on being the most responsive, client-focused partner in the industry. Explore The Bayswater 22 display home to see what the fuss is about.

Eden Brae Homes

Eden Brae Homes The Eden Brae difference lies in their experience, along with an exceptionally high-quality of workmanship, guaranteed build-time and close attention to detail. With their Buildsure™ Guarantee, combined with their 4-Star Gold iCIRT rating, you can enjoy unparalleled confidence and assurance when choosing Eden Brae Homes. Take a stroll through their Huntlee display home, Toorak 27 to see why others choose Eden Brae Homes.

The building design phase is one of the most exciting parts! What does your perfect home look like? How many bedrooms do you need? Do you need a large backyard? And what about a place to entertain? 

If you’re big on space and low on maintenance, a popular option is the Urban Series. It offers modern, one and two story townhouses in the heart of the Huntlee Ttown Ccentre. The series promises spacious bedrooms, stylish kitchens and open plan living. You don’t need to sacrifice space since the design effortlessly features all aspects needed for modern day living.

There’s a lot of exciting things to think about. Need inspiration? Have a chat to our sales representatives for ideas, take a look around some display homes, or check out our virtual video tours to visualise what your new home could look like.

Once you have agreed your design, you’ll need to formalise your initial agreement with your Sales and Design Consultant. This may require an initial payment to get the ball rolling. The Consultant will remain your point of contact until contracts are signed and prestart is booked in.

Your home design sketch and preliminary works contract will be reviewed by our internal approvals department and your contour survey and site classification report will be ordered. These reports detail the types of soil, site levels and service locations so that the correct engineers can be allocated to your home.

With all drawings and reports completed, we can evaluate and finalise costs. Our internal approvals team will also complete a final assessment of your plans to ensure they comply with regulations. 

Then we sign the contract acceptance. From here you will have approximately 7 weeks to gain unconditional approval.

You will need to sign a contract to buy a house with your chosen home builder, which will also require a deposit. ​​Contract documents include preliminary addenda, HIA contract and working drawings. 

If you have chosen your house and land together, the good news is that we can often sign the contracts on the same day, one after the other. Signed copies of your contract will be forwarded to your broker to begin the formal finance approval. If required, a planning application will be sent to the Shire at this time.

Before your prestart meeting you will be given the option to complete an interior design consultation. This will allow you to finalise all of your selections for your new home with a trained consultant, while visiting our display homes. The interior design consultant will create a seamless design scheme that matches your wish list and budget.

Now sit back and watch your new home being built! There are many building construction phases involved in the process of building a house.

Prepare the construction site

Once the site has been levelled, the foundation is laid. This includes measuring out the design, pouring the support footings and installing under-slab drainage, moisture barriers and termite protection.

Build the frame and shell

The frame is poured and formed. Roof sheeting, gutters, cladding and insulation are added. Electricians and plumbers install essential wiring and pipes for power, water, and gas.

Secure the property

Your home can now be locked up. Now it is secure and weatherproof, the plumbers, electricians, tilers, and carpenters can complete their work.

Complete the fit-out

It’s now shaping up to look like a home! Electrical fixtures and fittings are installed. Cabinets and benchtops are built in. Sinks, baths and other basic features are put in. Painting and any detailing is completed.

Landscaping and fencing

Outdoor living is important to many, and should be designed with purpose, just like the process of building a house. Consider what it will be mostly used for, whether thats space for children to run an area to grow vegetables, or a place to entertain. According to research, quality landscaping can add up to 28% to your home's overall value*, so it’s worth careful consideration.

The decision to have a fence might be practical, aesthetic or both. It provides a barrier for keeping children and pets secure; it can increase privacy; provide weather protection and improve your home's curb appeal. Consider design, material, or even whether you want it to be a living wall, i.e. a line of evergreen trees!

Final touches

Your home is ready to view! You’ll be invited for an inspection to check that everything works and meets expectations.

Congratulations, you’re now a Huntlee resident. Here are the keys to your first home, it’s time to celebrate! Your builder will provide you with an owners manual, operational guides and warranty documents for all of the appliances and equipment, from dishwashers to ovens and garage doors, that have been installed during the build. 

We want you to enjoy the experience of buying your first home, every step of the way. By buying at Huntlee you’re making a lifestyle choice and investing in your future. Take the time to think about what you need to build the perfect home, and we’ll help you achieve it.

Contact us today to get started on your journey to becoming a first homeowner!